The Top 3 Land Mobile Radio Problems Skymira Solves

Do you experience problems with your radios or find they can’t do what you need? Whether you need to fill in gaps in coverage, disaster-proof your comms, or coordinate a widely distributed fleet, Skymira’s solutions can be integrated into your radio network to:

• Eliminate coverage gaps
• Create portable networks
• Disaster-proof comms
• Track and display GPS locations
• Facilitate seamless interoperability

Here are the three top problems our customers face and how we help solve them.

#1 Gaps in Coverage

Eliminate radio network gaps for full coverage with Skymira’s satellite-enabled RoIP solutions.

The biggest problem many of our customers need to fix is gaps in radio coverage. For many, pushing the transmit button and getting nothing is more than frustrating – it puts lives in danger. From federal law enforcement officers patrolling thousands of square miles to technicians servicing power lines in rural and remote areas, push-to-talk (PTT) communications are often needed beyond the reach of radio towers.

For these agents, technicians, and others, satellite-enabled relays installed in vehicles provide consistent connection using existing radios. These relays effectively fill coverage gaps and ensure they have communications wherever they go. They serve as range extenders providing radios in the vehicle – and portables in range of the vehicle – with two-way radio coverage.

Skymira has reinvented radio over IP (RoIP) technology to create powerful, integrated solutions that provide reliable communications anywhere. Unlike options that solve part of the problem, Skymira’s solutions harness the power of LTE, FirstNet, and/or satellite connections as needed to eliminate network gaps and ensure complete coverage. This tailored approach ensures the system works for the unique problems and constraints of each application and provides a complete solution.

Along the southern US border, many federal law enforcement vehicles are equipped with Skymira’s relays. During operations in remote areas – where radio and cell coverage is spotty or nonexistent – the vehicles remain in touch with headquarters as well as with other vehicles deployed nearby.

An electrical coop in rural Virginia faces a similar problem. Technicians working with power lines need to know their radios will work. But lack of communications in areas with coverage gaps has remained unresolved despite various attempts to find a solution. Now with a Skymira P25 IP Relay or Explorer RoIP gateway installed in the trucks, technicians will always have comms, emergency alerts, and location tracking wherever they go.

#2 Disasters and Outages

Get a portable radio network for secure, disaster-proof comms where and when you need it with Skymira GoKITs.

The second biggest problem our customers face is the network outages in disaster zones. The ever-changing landscape after hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters requires real-time comms and location tracking for safe, efficient operations. But devastating emergencies often create coverage outages for days. From emergency responders going into disaster zones to wildland fire crews fighting fires in remote forests, these teams are always going into areas that have little to no two-way radio coverage. This lack of communication puts these responders in danger and severely reduces operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Emergency responders need portable radio networks that can be flexibly deployed at a moment’s notice. Satellite-enabled portable networks allow disaster relief crews, damage assessment teams, wildland firefighters, and others to achieve mission readiness and bring their communications with them wherever duty calls.

Skymira GoKITs create a plug-and-play portable radio network that runs off of a 12 volt plug. They can be easily set up in a vehicle or on the ground to provide comms on the go. The portable design allows optimal coverage regardless of the situation. With fixed-rate satellite service, Skymira GoKITs provide real-time PTT, GPS location, and emergency alerts on the frontlines.

Florida bridge crews used Skymira GoKITs after Hurricane Ian for real-time comms and GPS location tracking in areas without two-way radio or cellular coverage. Headquarters was able to track their progress and open roadways based on real-time updates on the ground.

Wildland firefighters also use GoKITs to get radio coverage in remote and disaster-impacted regions. Real-time situational updates, location tracking, and communications saves lives during these high-risk emergencies.

#3 Widely Distributed Fleets

Coordinate and track a widely distributed fleet with Skymira’s GPS tracking solutions.

The third challenge many of our customers grapple with is coordinating and tracking a widely distributed fleet. Using radios to dispatch and track vehicles operating over a large geographical area can be nearly impossible over traditional radio networks. From wildland fire crews operating hundred of miles from the operations center to transportation crews spread across the US or around the world, it is important but difficult to ensure everyone stays connected.

Skymira’s RoIP solutions make it easy to track and connect widely distributed fleets using push-to-talk radios over internet. By maximizing preferred networks – including LTE – while providing redundant, automatic network failover, vehicles are always connected. GPS location data from various vehicles, radios, and devices can be centrally displayed on a single GPS map. This allows streamlined dispatch and tracking while coordinating widely distributed fleets.

Over 1,000 wildland fire trucks use Skymira’s GPS tracking solutions to stay connected to a centralized operations center. With GPS locations, radio transmissions, and man down alerts always available and updated in real time, coordination becomes simple and safety is substantially increased.

In another application, vehicles from a federal law enforcement department from Maine to California are dispatched from a single office in Arizona. Skymira’s RoIP gateways and GPS tracking systems make it as simple to track and coordinate these widely distributed vehicles as it is to dispatch trucks that never leave the county.

#4 Bonus: Interoperability Challenges

Get seamless interoperability across devices, brands, and groups with Skymira’s RoIP solutions.

While most of our customers come to us because they are experiencing gaps in coverage, dealing with disaster-based outages, and/or trying to coordinate widely distributed fleets, many are also experiencing challenges related to radio interoperability. With disparate brands and protocols, cross-device and cross-agency interoperability and cooperation can become a nightmare. From federal law enforcement operations bringing together multiple agencies to emergency response teams gathering from across the country to local officers and agents trying to work with other departments, interoperability is a frequent pain point for radio users.

Skymira’s RoIP solutions provide seamless interoperability between disparate radios. Whether you want to integrate several kinds of radios and devices into your communication system or want to connect with other departments and agencies, Skymira’s relays make interoperability simple.

In regular operations along the border the same federal law enforcement vehicles that use Skymira’s mobile RoIP solutions to eliminate coverage gaps in remote areas also use it to connect with other agencies during special operations. The simplicity of interoperability using Skymira’s relays makes direct inter-agency cooperation on the ground feasible.

After Hurricane Maria downed communications in Puerto Rico, Skymira’s solutions seamlessly connected the disparate radio systems of ground crews, air ops, and logistics centers working to restore power. This otherwise impossible level of interoperability allowed coordinated operations to move forward quickly and safely.

What Problems Are You Dealing With?

Are you dealing with gaps in coverage, outages after disasters, widely distributed fleets, and/or interoperability challenges? Skymira offers reliable solutions that truly solve these problems.

If you want to set standards for worker safety and operational efficiency, we’d love to help you solve your radio and GPS problems. Contact a Skymira RoIP expert today to learn more about how you can have communications and location tracking you can count on.